S01.E14: The Murtaugh File

[Guest]

Quote

A brutal car crash reveals that Cahill is the target of a murderous stalker, causing Riggs and Murtaugh to turn the tables and start asking her questions for a change. Meanwhile, after finding Murtaugh's file in Cahill's office, Riggs becomes obsessed with finding out about his past as Roger and Trish reel over their daughter's newfound fake ID.

[ParadoxLost]

So this is the part of the evening where someone explains to me why Riggs had to turn on the gas to blow up Cahill's house as an escape plan.

His plan was for the stalker to shoot at them so they could out run a bullet and a fireball?

[JackONeill]

To me, this was the best episode so far. I liked the interplay among the whole cast. Plus, no dead wife so obviously hanging around Riggs' neck.

But there was one really false note: the ending. That was terribly manipulative of Riggs to walk on the ledge. Cahill should have dumped his ass right then. There is no excuse for that shit. It's disrespectful.

[shapeshifter]

43 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

So this is the part of the evening where someone explains to me why Riggs had to turn on the gas to blow up Cahill's house as an escape plan.

His plan was for the stalker to shoot at them so they could out run a bullet and a fireball?

I missed a lot of plot points/rationales, including this one. And why didn't the license plate lead them to the perp? And did the other shrink die? If anyone checked his pulse, I missed it. Regardless, the lady shrink had two stalkers, right? (Not counting the ex.)

Edited February 9, 2017 by shapeshifter

[ParadoxLost]

13 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I missed a lot of plot points/rationales, including this one. And why didn't the license plate lead them to the perp?

And what kind of therapy issue did Murtaugh admit to Riggs.  It sounded like infidelity but I can't believe that.  Wasn't listening closely enough at that point.

They did have me completely convinced that Jordana Brewster was leaving the show when she ended the doc/patient relationship with Riggs because I've always thought it was weird that she'd sign up for such a small part.

[Chaos Theory]

Heh!  Cahill is just as bad as Riggs is. No wonder she is able to treat.  I lost count; how many stalkers did she end up having?

i know some people don't like her but I think Jordan's Brewster fits well into the roll and she has experience with action so she can handle the crazy parts and she can do drama and comedy as well. 

Murtaugh probably had performance issues when he couldn't shoot the dude It happens sometimes.  One thing bleeds into the other.  Then it gets fixed and late in life baby happens.

Edited February 9, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[ohjoy]

It's official: I now like Dr. Cahill. Yes, she's as bad as Riggs, but that actually works in her favor as far as getting through to him. And yes, the ending was manipulative, but I guess since Jordana Brewster isn't actually leaving the show, they needed to a way to explain their dynamic as well as have Riggs buy-in to her therapy process. I'll let it slide.

2 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

So this is the part of the evening where someone explains to me why Riggs had to turn on the gas to blow up Cahill's house as an escape plan.

His plan was for the stalker to shoot at them so they could out run a bullet and a fireball?

I'm pretty sure the stalker was the one who turned on the gas. There was only one stalker: the uniformed officer. The stalker framed Dr. Levinson by using his saliva in the DNA test, and then called him and told him to go to Dr. Cahill's home. When Dr. Levinson arrived and Dr. Cahill tried to leave, he wouldn't let her because he felt it was unsafe for her to leave her house. Not because he was also stalking her, but because the stalker was still out there somewhere (or so he thought).

I usually roll my eyes at teenager "how dare my parents invade my privacy with the things that they actually bought for me!" storylines, but the ending was cute. RJ is going to need to get on the ball with a job of his own.

[jewel21]

So much love for this episode!!

I really liked Dr. Cahill and her interactions with Riggs. I got teary when she said she couldn't treat him anymore and ridiculously happy when he was hanging out on her ledge and she agreed to take him back after calling him an emotional terrorist, heh. I'm not even really a shipper but I like their dynamic and am interested to see how their 'relationship' will progress.

So good!

[dirtydi]

26 minutes ago, Sonoma said:

I've always been a fan of Jordana Brewster, but HATED her on Dallas.  The character of Elena was so poorly constructed and written, and while I'm a fan of JB, her acting was not strong enough to lift her.  She played her so pinched and humorless (and looked like she was in bad need of a sandwich to top it off) that the only vibe I ever got from her was angry hunger.  So I'm  happy to see her in a role that fits her much better!  I've been enjoying her on this show.

And they kept keeping her with Christopher.  I like her here.

[Anela]

I like Jordana Brewster, but all I could think was that this was the episode where they really start to set them up as a possible couple. I wasn't entirely focused on it tonight, so I'll have to watch again tomorrow. 

[WendyCR72]

5 minutes ago, Anela said:

I like Jordana Brewster, but all I could think was that this was the episode where they really start to set them up as a possible couple.

Sigh. Damn it. No.

[dwmarch]

4 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

So this is the part of the evening where someone explains to me why Riggs had to turn on the gas to blow up Cahill's house as an escape plan.

His plan was for the stalker to shoot at them so they could out run a bullet and a fireball?

The officer-stalker turned the gas on. Riggs knew that eventually bullets were going to fly so he decided to make it on his own schedule rather than on the stalker's. It's a good thing homes in the Hollywood Hills have that patented Hollywood Glass that explodes into a million tiny fragments if you look at it funny. I mean I would expect real homes in that area to have the kind of thick double or triple-pane glass that a vase (also made of glass) would bounce right off of.

3 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

And what kind of therapy issue did Murtaugh admit to Riggs.  It sounded like infidelity but I can't believe that.  Wasn't listening closely enough at that point.

After failing to pull the trigger Murtaugh was having trouble getting it up.

Dr. Cahill is popular amongst the menfolk it seems. An overprotective fellow therapist, a patient/stalker, an ex-husband and her will-they-won't-they moments with Riggs all in the same episode! Not only that, Murtaugh owes her a debt of gratitude for fixing his intimacy issues (although I feel as though Trish should have been able to fix that herself in that foxy leather dress she was wearing at the end of the episode!). Avery went all out with police resources on her behalf too. My impression from previous episodes was that she was more tolerated than beloved and that they all found her vaguely annoying but put up with her because they had to. Nope, turns out she's the gal everyone will kill for.

Edited February 9, 2017 by dwmarch

[Commando Cody]

I really hated this episode. 

I didn't need to see the lady shrink featured in an episode. I hate that they're setting Riggs and her up as their end game. I don't like the manipulation of the writers making me think that they were getting rid of her and then they don't.  I don't like it in any TV show where it looks like they're getting rid of an unlikeable character and then they don't. They just did that in Lucifer. They could have, cleanly, gotten rid of Mom, but they didn't. Freaking Doctor Who couldn't get rid of Clara, but it looked like they were going to about 50 times. 

I liked Riggs with that blonde lady detective. Plus, they didn't have to work out any ethics violations. 

As soon as they killed the new boyfriend off I thought - how convenient. She barely mourned his loss. Apparently she doesn't have to because there's always another man coming along. 

[WendyCR72]

I still hope (and pray) the shrink is a red herring, because assuming Riggs and Cahill do get together, I may seriously have to demote this show in terms of watching live. I dislike Cahill that much.

Besides it is only the first season. And since this show borrows so much from the films, I can only hope Lorna (or a Lorna equivalent) is in the offing instead down the line.

Because a shrink involved with a patient - even casual in nature - is just eeewww.

[Wryly]

I too officially like Cahill now. This episode humanized her for me. Lol'd at how confident she was that Shorty McNinja wasn't the perp, and how quickly she demonstrated it in the interrogation room.

This ep should have left Cahill pretty emotionally battered, though. She'd only been seeing her boyfriend for a month, but his murder still shook her. Ex-hubby comes back and reopens old wounds. She sees a colleague killed in front of her. Her true stalker confronts her and she almost dies. Then her house blows up. And having to talk Riggs off a ledge was probably not a relaxing conclusion to that whole two day period.

I was worried they were giving Riggs a different therapist as a first step to setting Cahill and Riggs up as a couple. When Riggs's "emotional terrorism" got him back as her patient, I was hopeful that her continued role as his therapist meant they wouldn't take things in a romantic direction. Honestly, I like their relationship for what it is now: a mixture of personal friendship and a strong therapist/patient connection.

And whoo, Leo Getz in the next ep! Loved Joe Pesci in the original movies.

[Miss Dee]

In truth, though, the only "couple-y" stuff in the episode were the settings (e.g. the use of Civil Wars' "Dust to Dust" playing in the restaurant) and the plot (trope-y). At no time did either Crawford or Brewster play their characters as having even an inkling of romantic interest in one another; the only thing that grew was Riggs' respect for her and their friendship.

That suggests to me that they have no intentions of pulling that trigger for quite a while, and might even decide not to pull it at all as they didn't do anything here they can't walk back if they want to.

I don't particularly ship them but the idea of it doesn't ruin the show for me. And I did like the extra insight into the shrink. It was a good episode for her. 

[JackONeill]

Okay, as I said, I really like this show. 

But let me get Entertainment Weekly on you: I like the actors who portray Riggs and Cahill. And, unlike some people, I usually have no opinion if lead characters date, especially if there is chemistry. But here's where I get superficial: Cahill is a classy lady. She dresses well and has taste. She is educated. Her job gives her great responsibility.

Now Riggs is Riggs. He would be for someone like Cahill an "acquired taste." Nowhere was this more evident than at the dinner scene at the restaurant. He just didn't fit in. And not because it was his fault. That was HER kind of place. He comes in wearing his baseball cap turned around (which I hate)(luckily he took it off). He eats with his mouth full. He hasn't changed clothes since...when?

Not to mention, there would be a prohibition against them dating. (She would have to give up being his shrink of they dated.)

Now, I do think they're cute together, mostly because of how different they are. Personally, I think it best if they keep them as "bantering" friends and as Doctor-patient.

p.s. Added later, once coffee had gone to work. When I say "He eats with his mouth full" I really (and truly) meant to say "He talks with his mouth full."

Edited February 9, 2017 by JackONeill

[Chaos Theory]

Look we all watch tv so the chances of a Riggs/Cahill romance are good.  That doesn't mean it will happen next episode or even next season.  It look like this show gets fairly good ratings so the show might go on for a tick so the romance might actually be slow burn.  Riggs stops seeing her as a shrink and they put her in more sn advisory roll for awhile etc etc and then things go on like that for awhile 

Honestly I have no problem with the romance.  It's just not the right time for a lot of reasons.  Two being Riggs is still deeply in love with his wife and Cahill is still his psychiatrist.  If both of those things change then I have no problem with a relationship,

Edited February 9, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[ohjoy]

8 hours ago, Anela said:

I like Jordana Brewster, but all I could think was that this was the episode where they really start to set them up as a possible couple. I wasn't entirely focused on it tonight, so I'll have to watch again tomorrow. 

See, I got the exact opposite sense from this episode, which is why I liked it so much.

5 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Because a shrink involved with a patient - even casual in nature - is just eeewww.

5 hours ago, Wryly said:

I was worried they were giving Riggs a different therapist as a first step to setting Cahill and Riggs up as a couple. When Riggs's "emotional terrorism" got him back as her patient, I was hopeful that her continued role as his therapist meant they wouldn't take things in a romantic direction. Honestly, I like their relationship for what it is now: a mixture of personal friendship and a strong therapist/patient connection.

They set Cahill up as someone who is going to do the appropriate thing for her patients -- so the idea of her dating one of patients seems even less likely than it did before. They followed that immediately with Riggs intentionally reestablishing his doctor/patient dynamic with her. It made me very comfortable that they are both comfortable as they currently are.

57 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

He eats with his mouth full.

Hee. Don't we all? ;-)

[LydiaMoon1]

This episode was okay.  My only complaint was about Jordana Brewster's acting.  I think her character is likeable enough, they just gave her too much to do.  She's fine with the shrink stuff, but mourning a murdered boyfriend?  Just no.  I couldn't tell if she was sad or just undecided about what to have for dinner.

[BooBear]

I like Cahill. I weirdly liked that her first name was Maureen.. something you don't really hear anymore. I like that she has been presented as sort of "one of the team". I don't think Riggs has any romantic feelings for her at the moment but I do think he thinks of her as a friend and was kind of pained to think about having to give her up. 

It does kind of bother me that Riggs is getting therapy with his to be romantic interest. There just seems something wrong about that. I was hoping that they would send Riggs to someone else for a few episodes and then have Cahill come back in on a case and have him realize he missed her. That might have worked out better. She still works on cases. 

Poor Adam Kaufman... since Buffy he has always played the unfaithful douche. 

[Happytobehere]

So the show begins the expected push of Riggs and the therapist because lets face it, Jordana Brewster doesn't get hired based on her acting talents, she is the pretty face who get to be the girlfriend and I say this as someone who goes back far enough with the actress to remember her from soap operas.

Roger constantly getting beaten up wears real thin real quick when its a weakly show.

The show got me with the stalker, I thought it was her fellow therapist from the movement we were shown they knew each other.

The Murtaughs and their spying on Rihanna was both funny and understandable, with a father who is a cop, and a mother who is a defense attorney, they know all to well of the horrors of this world.

Speaking of the Murtaughs, where was that precious baby.

[Chaos Theory]

Jordan's Brewster will have a soft spot with me for two reasons.  One is that Fast & Furious is my action series and she got a bad break with that one.  The second is D.E.B.S the funniest spy spoof not enough people watched because well....lesbian themed.   Brewster will gets points forever from me for that movie alone.  It was the bestest. 

[paigow]

Did Lee Harvey Oswald teach Murtaugh how to shoot? The guy was facing Murtaugh and had entry wound on the back of his hand??? His gun was not even visible through the scope, just half his head. XL WTF!!!

[JackONeill]

One question for you experts out there. (You know who you are!!!) What's up with the way Riggs carries his gun into a "situation"? He keeps it close to his chest. Most cops on other shows keep it out more, as if they're pointing at a target. One advantage I can see is that with Riggs, if someone jumps out behind him, they won't be able to knock away his gun because he keeps it so close to him. But aren't all cops trained the same way? (I know Riggs is a rebel!!!)

[paigow]

26 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

One question for you experts out there. (You know who you are!!!) What's up with the way Riggs carries his gun into a "situation"? He keeps it close to his chest. Most cops on other shows keep it out more, as if they're pointing at a target. One advantage I can see is that with Riggs, if someone jumps out behind him, they won't be able to knock away his gun because he keeps it so close to him. But aren't all cops trained the same way? (I know Riggs is a rebel!!!)

SEAL school

[mccartygirl]

Quote

I still hope (and pray) the shrink is a red herring, because assuming Riggs and Cahill do get together, I may seriously have to demote this show in terms of watching live. I dislike Cahill that much.

Quote

Jordan's Brewster will have a soft spot with me for two reasons.  One is that Fast & Furious is my action series and she got a bad break with that one. 

I love this show and for some reason look forward to seeing Riggs every week. Developed a strange crush on him. But I will hate it if Riggs and Cahill get together. They don't always need to push people together in shows. I'd rather have Riggs and Murtaugh get together. 

F&F is my jam - I see everyone one of those movies the second they come out. I liked JB in that but for some reason, I haven't liked her in anything else. Her acting is terrible and has she had surgery to her face, she looks way different now than F&F 1? I expect bad acting in F&F, except from Luke Evans (YUM!), so her acting doesn't bother me in that. In small doses JB is okay in this show, but this was way too much for me in this episode. 

[rove4]

58 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

One question for you experts out there. (You know who you are!!!) What's up with the way Riggs carries his gun into a "situation"? He keeps it close to his chest. Most cops on other shows keep it out more, as if they're pointing at a target. One advantage I can see is that with Riggs, if someone jumps out behind him, they won't be able to knock away his gun because he keeps it so close to him. But aren't all cops trained the same way? (I know Riggs is a rebel!!!)

Someone at IMDB said this is known as the Centre Axis Relock (CAR) system. I googled it and it seems legit.

 

I've been mostly a lurker here since originally signing up after TWoP closed. I guess I'll be more active now that IMDB is also closing its forums.  :-)

[shapeshifter]

18 hours ago, Wryly said:

. . . This ep should have left Cahill pretty emotionally battered, though. She'd only been seeing her boyfriend for a month, but his murder still shook her. Ex-hubby comes back and reopens old wounds. She sees a colleague killed in front of her. Her true stalker confronts her and she almost dies. Then her house blows up. And having to talk Riggs off a ledge was probably not a relaxing conclusion to that whole two day period. . . .

I may have to quote this on the "Things That Happen on TV but Not in Real Life" thread.

And the only reason it's possible to believe Cahill and Riggs spend any time together is because there's no smellovision.

[MaggieG]

"Riggs broke your planter" made me lol

[weathered1]

I've seen Jordana Brewster in several projects at this point, and I've just never been able to warm up to her. There's something about her/her acting style that strikes me as . . . reserved, detached, smug iciness. 

I was really hoping that the professional relationship being reinstated was done to shut down the ship, but given the settings of some of the scenes and the musical cues, I don't think that's the case. It did feel like they were at least testing the waters for something. Unfortunately. 

How do I put my thoughts about a possible Riggs/Cahill relationship maturely and eloquently . . . 

 

It violates ethical codes. It immediately throws her professional reputation and job down the toilet. It's terrible for his mental and emotional health. And it's squicky. And boringly predictable. 

I'd *much* rather that they use that professional connection to help Riggs heal and realize that he can have an intellectual/emotional (purely platonic) tie to a woman without feeling as though he's betrayed his dead wife. (Speaking of, it was a welcome change of pace to not see him totally anchored down by his grief in this episode.) From there, he can start exploring physical/romantic entanglements. . . with a woman who is not Cahill. 

Ideally, I'd really like to see the show introduce Lorna at some point in the not too terribly distant future (relatively speaking), so that things can build slowly between them. I enjoyed the Riggs/Lorna dynamic in the movies, and I think - and hope - she's too significant a character for the show to ignore. 

 

With all that out of the way, I think the Riggs/Murtaugh partnership hit all the right notes in this episode and was incredibly entertaining. I also like the Murtaugh family dynamic - it feels authentic, and the baby is adorable beyond words. (That said, they can pull back on the teen angst/drama a bit.)

[MissLucas]

Well, I have to give it to the writers - they did a great job establishing Cahill as a character (I was highly critical of her at the beginning). So there's that.

As for this episode: no way in hell should she keep being his shrink. And certainly not after that last scene. But this is Hollywood not reality. At least it looks like the show knows that the ship can't set sails as long as there's a doctor-patient relationship going on. Also Riggs is nowhere close to start a new relationship. If they plan something between those two it's definitely far in the future.

I feel bad for ersatz-shrink: he was just doing his job and tried to keep her safe, then got shot and blown to pieces and nobody was the least bit upset.

ETA: My memory's a bit hazy but I think Riggs insinuating Murtaugh had not aimed for the hand (but the head) was a shout-out to the movies. Didn't something similar happen there. Riggs congratulating Murtauh for the clear shot through the perp's hand and Murtaugh admitting that he had aimed for the head?

ETA: Never-mind it's a sub-trope of Accidental Aiming Skills to be found in many shows and movies (but not Lethal Weapon).

Edited February 11, 2017 by MissLucas

[paigow]

Movie Murtaugh was quite adept at close range head shots with his revolver...He never had to set up as a sniper

[Unclejosh]

Riggs definitely carries his gun that way due to his Special Forces (Seal) training.  Keanu Reeves uses this stance a lot in the John Wick movies.  If you have seen the videos of him doing the courses with live ammo, he has real skills and it is pretty impressive.  I believe it is for close quarters combat.

[juliet73]

On 2/10/2017 at 9:57 PM, weathered1 said:

I've seen Jordana Brewster in several projects at this point, and I've just never been able to warm up to her. There's something about her/her acting style that strikes me as . . . reserved, detached, smug iciness. 

 

YES!!! I feel like she's just practicing the lines with the other actors until the real actress shows up. Everything I see her in, I wish Paget Brewster was hired instead. I know they aren't related, but Paget comes across so much more personable and comfortable when she's acting. Jordana is so dull, wooden and distant. 

[jay741982]

On 2/9/2017 at 0:09 AM, Anela said:

I like Jordana Brewster, but all I could think was that this was the episode where they really start to set them up as a possible couple. I wasn't entirely focused on it tonight, so I'll have to watch again tomorrow. 

I saw it too BUT they are bringing back Hilarie Burton's character this week and she's on next week as well so I wonder if they are gonna a dreaded triangle 

[Anela]

3 hours ago, jay741982 said:

I saw it too BUT they are bringing back Hilarie Burton's character this week and she's on next week as well so I wonder if they are gonna a dreaded triangle 

Oh no, not a love triangle. I hate those! Always have. 

[paigow]

But it will be a one-man polygon: Riggs -> Palmer -> assorted bartenders & waitressess

[ohjoy]

15 minutes ago, Anela said:

Oh no, not a love triangle. I hate those! Always have. 

Very few things ruin a show faster or more effectively for me than love triangles or relationship stalls.

[niklj]

I loved this episode, I still don't know how they manage to make it as action-packed as it is every week. It's the only show that makes me spontaneously yell out "I LOVE THIS SHOW!" during the episode haha.

Why was Dr. Levinson so sketchy when he went to her house? RIP to him.

Clayne Crawford could have chemistry with a plank of wood, he's that good. I thought it was interesting when she told him to act interested and he started stuttering saying, "Oh I'm interested" before she clarified.

Where was Scorsese this week :(

[Guest]

Discussion of characters who have not been introduced (and we aren't sure if will be introduced) are not on-topic in this thread.  Please take those discussions elsewhere - to either the TV vs Movie thread or create a speculation thread.  Either option is great.   

Thank you!

[marcee]

On 2/9/2017 at 1:25 PM, JackONeill said:

One question for you experts out there. (You know who you are!!!) What's up with the way Riggs carries his gun into a "situation"? He keeps it close to his chest. Most cops on other shows keep it out more, as if they're pointing at a target. One advantage I can see is that with Riggs, if someone jumps out behind him, they won't be able to knock away his gun because he keeps it so close to him. But aren't all cops trained the same way? (I know Riggs is a rebel!!!)

Apparently, there are several "ready positions"...

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/pistol-ready-positions/

Looks like his is called "Position Sul".

[Raja]

On 2/9/2017 at 10:25 AM, JackONeill said:

One question for you experts out there. (You know who you are!!!) What's up with the way Riggs carries his gun into a "situation"? He keeps it close to his chest. Most cops on other shows keep it out more, as if they're pointing at a target. One advantage I can see is that with Riggs, if someone jumps out behind him, they won't be able to knock away his gun because he keeps it so close to him. But aren't all cops trained the same way? (I know Riggs is a rebel!!!)

As others have said it is among the newer developments in combat tactics since Detective Sergeant Dave Starsky of Starsky and Hutch was maybe the first TV cop to use the then most modern Colonel Jeff Cooper stances and two handed combat shooting with a pistol as opposed to a revolver from the hip 40 years ago. The hold close  was adapted from another firearms instructor Massod Ayoob who thought the push and pull of the Cooper  triangle stance  shooting would fall apart under stress as he taught holding close and punching forward with both arms under stress to fire. Which as a by product left officers, and soldiers in a better position and free to do other things beside just shoot or don't shoot.

 

But such things take time it took decades to go from locking out one arm to go to quick shooting with one bent arm in a crouch like the McGarrett on the original Hawaii 5-0, to the two handed stance used since the mid 70s as seen first by Starsky then more prominently by Sonny Crocket on Miami Vice to what Riggs is doing now.